MPH Practicum Overview

The MPH Practicum is a hands-on experience that allows postgraduate public health students at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) to engage with the community.

It provides students the opportunity to apply their public health skills in areas of interest, while also aligning with the goals of the organization they are working with. This experience takes place in health organisations, non-government / not for profit organisations, commercial sector, hospital and healthcare industry, consulting and policy think tank groups, and others.

This opportunity enables students to apply their classroom knowledge to real-world situations.

The Practicum is a mandatory component for graduation, designed to equip students with essential knowledge and skills in public health. It serves to bridge the gap between theory and practice while fostering professional development.

Who are the students?

Our Master of Public Health (MPH) students come from diverse professional backgrounds, ranging from recent graduates to experienced medical professionals who are currently undergoing formal public health training. Before starting their Practicum, students will develop competencies in essential areas of public health, including stakeholders and community engagement, health policy, statistics and epidemiology. All students are deeply passionate about public health and enter the Practicum program motivated to learn and apply their knowledge and skills effectively.

What makes the MPH Practicum differ from other placements?

The MPH Practicum is different from clinical work, such as patient consultations, diagnoses, and treatments. Our students focus on addressing population and community health challenges rather than just individual health needs.
While our MPH students study statistics and epidemiology, their Practicum, if it takes place in a University research, must involve more than just research activities like data collection and analysis. Their involvement should also emphasize engagement with the community and external stakeholders.
Each student’s final deliverables, which they must complete during 200 to 240 hours, are planned by their supervisor and agreed with the student. The supervisor also evaluates the final deliverables along with the student’s performance and professionalism.
Although the Practicum is results-oriented, it prioritizes gaining experience and command in selected competencies as set out by the School while working in public health settings. This helps students develop the competencies needed to become effective public health professionals in the future.
Practicum partners may offer multiple placements, each with individual aims, objectives and responsibilities to meet the needs of a large project.
Practicum placements are usually offered between November and July of the following year; other time may be available for part-time students.
The Practicum can be designed as project-based and also adapted for remote work setting.

Why should we participate in this MPH Practicum?

Benefits of taking on the role of the Practicum site organization include:

Provision of a dedicated, Masters-level prepared public health student to assist your organization with a practical need
Our students are committed to becoming successful in areas of public health, they are motivated to produce quality, meaningful work and to broaden their professional skillset
Impact the next generation of public health professionals
Invitation to Master of Public Health events, such as public health networking and professional development opportunities

What are some examples of Practicum projects?

The Practicum may involve any public health activity or function for example surveillance, policy development, health promotion and education, programme evaluation, or communications or research.

The following are generalised examples of potential Practicum activities:

Analyze barriers to implementing a program and present recommendations
Conduct cost-effectiveness, cost-benefit, and cost utility analyses
Conduct needs assessments
Contribute to the measuring, reporting and continuous improvement of organizational performance
Develop and coordinate programs and activities
Evaluate the effectiveness of existing programs
Provide support and assistance in funding research and grant writing
Organize, analyze, and summarize study data for a report
Producing health promotion or health education materials

What organizations can supervise a Practicum student?

Practicum placements can be in a variety of organizations, including local and international public health organizations, non-governmental organizations, charities, healthcare delivery setting/organizations, commercial and business sector.

We are currently collaborating with around 100 organizations in Hong Kong, mainland China and overseas.

To be our community partner, contact the team: